Fender shield construction



July 5, 1952 G. w. SCHATZMAN ,6 3,

FENDER SHIELD CONSTRUCTION Filed 001;. 1, 1949 Z0 Z7 ZIIVE'HLUF I George zflfic fzazmazz E V Q QWM Patented July 15, 1952 f v J a George W. Schatzman, Detroit; Mich,- assignor to Houdaille-Hershey I Corporation, Mich.', a corporation of Michigan Detroit,

' 7 Application October 1, 1949, Serial No. 119,145

- The broad concept of the present disclosure is broadlycovered in my copending application Serial No. 708,513, filed November 8, 1946.

The present invention relates to improvements in fender skirt or shield constructions and more particularly concerns a fender shield having novel means for latching the same in place on a fender.

In the vehicle industry, and particularly in the automobile branch thereof, various means have been utilized to improve the appearance of vehicle fenders. The usual vehicle fender is provided w th an opening affording access to the vehicle wheel, and permitting ready removal or replacemnt of the wheel in an axial direction. Since this opening inherently presents an unattractive outward appearance, and in high speed operation is an air turbulence factor, detachable fender shields have been employed to cover the opening protectively and ornamentally;

As the term fender shield. shall hereinafter be employed, it refers to any member which is adapted to besecured to a fender or other portion of a vehicle body for the purpose of covering the opening in the fender or vehicle body and which opening is provided for access to or removal of a vehicle wheel. Furthermore, as the term fender shall hereinafter be employed, it refers to any form of wheel fender in its broad sense, whether such fender be separated from the vehicle body part, partly separated from the vehicle body part,- or actually an integral part of the vehicle body and whether or not it projects outwardly from the principal bodyportion of the vehicle. An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved fender shield having novel latching mechanism by which the fender shield is attached to a fender.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latching mechanism for fender shields.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a novel fender shield latching mechanism of the torsion rod type having novel means for automatically controlling the operative position of the torsion rod latch member. v

Other objects, features and advantages ofthe present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle fender and fender shield assembly embodying a latching mechanism according to the present invention; 1 V

' Figure 2 is an enlarged inside fragmentary 5 Claims. (01. 292-58 I elevational view of the fender and fender shield assembly showing the improved latching mecha nismyand I I t t 7 Figure 3 is a vertical sectional detail View taken substantially on the line I1II1'I of Figure 2.

A representative embodiment of the presentinvention is adapted to be incorporated in a fender shield I0 which is designed to. cooperate with a fender H to close a wheel access opening 12 in the outer side of the fender. For supporting the fender shield l0 inassembly on the fender, suitable attachment structure is provided at'theop- 'posite' lower ends of the fender shield andcooperative with means on the fender at the respec-.- tive opposite lower ends of the wheel access opening. In order to have theoutersurface of the, fender shield lie flush with the outer surface of the fender, a marginal recess isprovided byan.

marginal reinforcing flange l5 on the fender shield. e

For maintaining the upper portion of the fender shield H1 in assembled relation with the fender ll, latching mechanism I1 is provided on the fender shield. This mechanism comprises a vertical strut [8' preferably formed from appropriate gauge sheet metal mounted vertically at approximately the center of the fender shield panel-rela tively closely to the inner face thereof and having an upper terminal flange portion I9 engaging behind a downturned portion of the-fender shield marginal reinforcing flange 15. At its lower end the strut I8 is preferably secured to the lower marginal portion of the fender shield 10 and for this purpose has an angular inwardly extending foot flange 20 which is secured as by means of rivets 2| to an inwardly extending lower marginal reinforcing and supporting flange 22 on the fender shield.- Throughout a substantial portion of its length, the strut I8 is preferably reinforced by means of angular side flanges 23., I

Supported by thestrut [8 for rotary and reciprocal movement is a torsion latch rod 24. This latch rod is preferably formed from a single piece of suitable gauge wire or rod stock of a material having adequate resilience for the present purpose. Approximately quarterv inch steel stock of suitable grade has been found satisfactory." At its up'perend the torsion latchrod fl is formed.

with an angular latching head 25, while at its lower end'portion the torsion rod is formed to provide an angular handle 21 preferably extending to the opposite side of the body of thelatch rod from the latching head 25.

Rotary and reciprocal guiding of the latch rod 24 is accomplished through the medium of a guide andijournal; e 'r., ;;2'8. struck integrally from V the body--fof*'thestrut'- f8 adjacent tc theftop' thereof and providing a journal or bearing aperture 29 through which the body of the latch rodxextends below the latching headgdlib;Adjacent,

to the lower end of the latch rod '24' abeaiingis'" provided by the foot flange-itfli'andiithallower fender shield reinforcing fian'ge z'z the superimposed flanges being formed with an inward-1y openingbearing slot 30, a retaining-platejl be ing superimposed upon the foot fiangejfl, se cured thereto by the rivets 2| and having a'r'od clearance slot 31a opening outwardly and retaining the lolwerrportion 50f ,athe; latch-rod bodywithfin, the v1 zlow'eri guide rbearing.- I The spacing rhea: tween the upper bearing ear and the lower flange hearing ,for the latch rod is'less than vthe :spacing between-thef-latching "head :rand--the"handle 21:

so i'that :the; :latch rod is afiordeds :a "suificient range 'ofivertic'alzor reciprocal movement tellermiti the :same "to; move from .an upper latching position 'assshownc-in Figure =2aan'd in full out-i line in Fig-ureB and areleasedipo'sition as shown inrdash t'outlin in Figure 3 :wherein ...the latchinghead :25 twillflclearthe zfend'eri fla'nge l3 ftov permitimounting and *demounting ofithe Tender] shield;

iIn'fm'ountingt the fender I'll. the :latch rod rfi is moveddro the re1eased.lpositionisho'wnin dash outl-ineiin zFigurev-itherlower ends of the V fender shield are attached to the fender and the fender shield is then rocked in'to the closing .poe' sition toth' heel access opening 12, 'whereafter the handle' fl' is manipulated to rotate the latch rod 2 4 about'its' vertical axis and mov-e the latch rod upwardly ito effect Hatching engagement TOf the latch 25 with Ithe inn'er 'side o'f the fniicr flan'ge liij theirelaitionshipof the latch head 25 "and the handle?! being such 'th'at -inthe final phase ofthe turning movement of the latch rod' the la'tch rod ispIa-ce'd under-torsional :stress wherein the latching head 25 and the body ofthe latchrod cooperating with' the strut 23 securly clamps-thegripper margin and more particul'arly-the-marginal flange 15 of the V fender shieldagainst th'e marginif the fender and more particularly within the flange l 3. The torsional clamping function of 'the latch rod ZAis ca'used to persist by springing the handlef-ZJ rearwardly and upwardly' relative to the lower fender shield reinforcing "flange 22 =to *engagean outwardly turnedle'cking' terminal 32 *th'ereon retainingly over the*lbwer iender'ghield 'flange 22' and into interlockingrelation {an upstanding innertermirial portion 33-=on the {fender shield flange; For convenience in manipulating "the h'a;n'd1'e 21 a' generally downwardly projecting finger ent gagea-bleloopf 34 is provided therein adjacent-to the interlock terminalfif 1 Inasmuch as 'foi onej-reason or another resis'tan'ce' is oftenencountered to upward movement of'the torsion latch rod fl into the latching position; novel means are provided by the presentinyentlon to assure automatic upward movement of the' rod as ran incidentito turning the rod into vlatching position; l lorithisripurpose a cam element '35:iislrcarried'chysthe strut 1811-0 pr'oject inwardly ltherefrom": intethe:path of a ziollower engagedby a lateral follower section or shoul- ;der 39-at'the lower portion of the bend 31. The location'and relationship of the cam ear 35 and thei'followerflbendx3 land more particularly the {cam edge-33 and the follower shoulder 39 is such that when "the la'tch rod 24 is turned toward latchingipositionthe follower shoulder 39 automatically engages the cam surface 38 and is cahimed -upwardly, thus positively driving the torsion rod 24 upwardly'into proper latching re lationof the-cam head 25 opposite the fender shieldnange 5 and behind the fender flange 43,;

In order to have the upward inovement of the;

latch rodfld accomplished rapidly; and-to proper latching elevation I co-ordinately with attainment of-latching cooperation of thelatching head -25 with :theiender flange-l3, -the fcllo wer bend -31;

and more-particularly the :follower ishoulder 39 is preferably angled in advance of the latch head 25, as bestrseen in :Fig. :3. That is, whentyiewed insside elevation, thelfollower-shoulder 39 extends angularly; outwardly or toward: the latching face of ithe latching head 25. Furthermore, the-cam edge-38 deformed on an-appropriate fairly steep incline so that there is a' rapid ascent o f the shoulder/-39 as the latch rod is turned toward operativelatching position; .By the-same token, whenthe latch rod is turned toward released I position there is a rapid drop toward the none .latchingpesition.

'Itmay also-be observed that by having the cam ear--35 located fairlyclosely to the body of the latch red 1'24? eflicientgupward thrust fairly close'tothe'ax-is of the rod is effected during the cammingaction whereby to avoid distorsional stresses andminimize side thrust'on the rodduringoperation. 1

' It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the "scope "of the; 'novel concepts of the presentinvention V r Y 'I clai'meas my invention: 1. In combination "in'a fender shield rla'tchin'g mechanism, a strut adapted to be-secured to the inner side betweenthe upper and'lower margins of a*fendershield:panel,a rotary and reciprocable torsion latch rod, means onsaidstrut providing.

a Shearing for said'latch ro'd, acam element carried by said strut,and a follower extending-later:

ally from the generally vertical axis of thelcody of-thezlatchwrod and cooperable to-follow said' jcam element, said cam element a'n'dsaid follower be: ing disposed toeflect-upward movement of the latch-rod'as an incident'to turning of thela'tch rod into latching position -to:carry the uppcr end portion 'of the latch rod from a depressed position below the upper margin :of thepanel to an elevated position opposite said upper margin, said cam-elementcomprising an earintegrallyrstruck out and benttoextend inwardly from the body of-the=strut. 7 y p i 2. :In' combination in a ifender shield latching mechanism, -a-strut adapted to be I secured to -t he inner side between the upper and lower margins oi aifcndershieldpanel,arotaryand-reciprocable torsion latch rod, means on said strut providing a bearing for said latch rod, a cam element carried by said strut, and a follower extending laterally from the generally vertical axis of the body of the latch rod and cooperable to follow said cam element, said cam element and said follower being disposed to effect upward movement of the latch rod as an incident to turning of the latch rod into latching position to carry the upper end portion of the latch rod from a depressed position below the upper margin of the panel to an elevated position opposite said upper margin, said bearing means comprising an ear struck out integrally from the body of the strut and lying in a generally horizontal plane and said cam element comprising an ear integral with and extending in a generally vertical plane from the strut adjacent to the body of the torsion rod.

3. In combination in a fender shield latching mechanism, a sheet metal strut adapted to be mounted at the inner side of a fender shield, a torsion rod latch member, saidv latch member having a latching head on the upper portion thereof extending toward one side, means on the strut below said latching head and providing a reciprocal and rotary bearing for the torsion rod affording clearance below said latching head to permit substantial vertical movement of the rod for movement of the latching head into and out of latching position by rotation and vertical movement of the rod, the rod having a lateral bend in the bodythereof below the bearing means, and a cam ear extending inwardlyfrom the strut and having an upwardly facing and downwardly inwardly sloping cam edge engageable by said bend whereby the bend will follow the cam edge and effect upward movement of the latch rod as an incident to turning the latch rod to swing the latching head into latching position.

4. In combination in a fender shield latching mechanism, a sheet metal strut adapted to be mounted at the inner side of a fender shield, a

torsion rod latch member, said latch member having a latching head on the upper portion the latch rod as an incident to turning the latch rod to swing the latching head into latching position, said follower bend being angled outwardly relative to the latching head to elevate the latch rod and the head in advance of the latching head reaching latching position.

5. In combination in a latching mechanism for fender shields, a sheet metal vertical strut, an inwardly struck out bearing ear adjacent the upper end of the strut, an inturned foot flange at the lower end of the strut having a bearing slot therein aligned with the bearing ear, a cam ear struck out integrally from the body of the strut above the foot flange and lying in a vertical plane at one side of the axis between the bearing ear and said bearing slot, said cam ear having an upper cam surface sloping downwardly inwardly at a relatively steep pitch, and a torsion latch rod reciprocable and rotatably supported in said bearing ear and said bearing slot and having a latching head at its upper end and a follower bend in an intermediate portion thereof cooperative with said cam ear, said latching head and follower bend extending toward generally the same side of the latch rod, whereby in turning the'latch rod to carry the latching head into latching position the follower bend rides up the cam surface of said cam ear to raise the latch rod.

- GEORGE W. SCHATZMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,334,867 Fergueson Nov.-23, 1943 2,353,553 Fergueson July 11, 1944 

